{"id":32648,"date":"2026-06-08T11:53:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:53:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/?p=32648"},"modified":"2026-06-08T11:53:55","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T10:53:55","slug":"akpabio-urges-prayer-amid-nigerias-security-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/08\/akpabio-urges-prayer-amid-nigerias-security-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Akpabio Urges Prayer Amid Nigeria\u2019s Security Crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ABUJA, Nigeria \u2014 Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Sunday urged Nigerians not to lose hope, recalling that he introduced monthly prayer sessions to combat abductions, killings, and militancy during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State. He said Nigerians must continue to pray so that sponsors of terrorism will be exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Akpabio\u2019s remarks come at a time of heightened insecurity across Nigeria, where kidnappings, banditry, and insurgent attacks have left communities reeling. His call for prayer reflects a broader tradition in Nigerian politics, where leaders often mix policy measures with appeals to faith and spirituality in addressing national crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the comments have sparked controversy. On social media, reactions were sharply divided. Supporters praised Akpabio\u2019s emphasis on prayer, saying faith remains a vital source of resilience in troubled times. \u201cPrayer is our strongest weapon,\u201d one user wrote. Others, however, expressed frustration, accusing leaders of hiding behind religion instead of delivering concrete solutions. \u201cWe need action, not sermons,\u201d another user posted. \u201cPrayer won\u2019t stop kidnappers on the highway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Human rights activists were quick to weigh in. Groups such as Amnesty International Nigeria argued that while prayer can unify communities, it cannot replace accountability and reform. \u201cNigerians deserve functioning institutions, not just spiritual appeals,\u201d one activist said, pointing to repeated failures in intelligence gathering and policing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Policy makers and stakeholders also joined the debate. Some lawmakers defended Akpabio\u2019s remarks, saying prayer sessions can foster unity and morale. Civil society organizations countered that the Senate should focus on legislation tackling poverty, unemployment, and corruption, which they argue fuel insecurity. Analysts noted that Akpabio\u2019s comments highlight the tension between spiritual reliance and demands for tangible governance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social commentators added that the statement reflects a broader cultural reliance on religion in Nigerian politics. \u201cIt\u2019s easier to call for prayer than to confront systemic failures,\u201d one commentator observed. \u201cBut Nigerians are increasingly demanding results, not rhetoric.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many ordinary Nigerians, Akpabio\u2019s appeal underscores the gap between leadership and lived reality. With rising inflation, unemployment, and daily reports of abductions, citizens say they want more than symbolic gestures. The controversy has reignited debate over whether Nigeria\u2019s leaders are relying too heavily on faith-based appeals while neglecting the urgent need for reforms in security and governance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ABUJA, Nigeria \u2014 Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Sunday urged Nigerians not to lose hope, recalling that he introduced monthly prayer sessions to combat abductions, killings, and militancy during his tenure as governor of Akwa Ibom State. He said Nigerians must continue to pray so that sponsors of terrorism will be exposed. Akpabio\u2019s remarks come […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":32649,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3699,4,458,3,1138],"tags":[15069,18488,1987,18489,1992,1023,12373,10005,18487],"class_list":["post-32648","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-africa","category-featured","category-legal","category-naija-news","category-politics","tag-civil-society","tag-faith-and-politics","tag-godswill-akpabio","tag-human-rights-activists","tag-insecurity-in-nigeria","tag-nigerian-senate","tag-policy-makers","tag-social-media-reactions","tag-terrorism-sponsors"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.funminews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Akpabio-Senate-President-e1689080706982.webp?fit=1075%2C672&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32648","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32648"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32648\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32651,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32648\/revisions\/32651"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32649"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32648"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32648"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.funminews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32648"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}